Shivering Confessions
by AndAllThatMishigas
Summary: Set in mid s5, but no exile after Cotterdam. Harry rushes to rescue Ruth from dire circumstances, and he learns some shocking information along the way. Written from prompts from Rahleeyah: high, deep, shiver.


**Shivering Confessions**

Harry had to get to her. That's all he knew. Yes, it should probably be Adam or Ros running about in the wilderness. But Harry needed to be the one to do it. It would have been one thing, he knew, if this had been like Cotterdam, if their enemies were using Ruth to get to Harry. But she was wholly innocent in all this. She was undercover at a bank to get some files and, thinking she was just an employee from the courier service she was posing with, the crime syndicate had taken her hostage.

And now Harry was racing against the clock, searching for Ruth deep in some godforsaken cave in the woods. Adam was handing over the ransom and Harry was running as fast as his dodgy knee could carry him to get to her. They'd gotten grainy video of Ruth tied up and being dosed with an IV drug to slowly poison her. He had to get to her.

At last he arrived at the location Malcolm had sent by the GPS tracker. It was pitch dark and cold, and Harry's fear for Ruth's safety increased tenfold. He made his way carefully now in the dim light from his mobile, not having had the foresight to bring a torch. On he went, deeper and deeper into the blackness.

Eventually he saw a flicker of movement and heard a soft sound. He rushed to where she was lying and ripped the needle from her arm. "Ruth? Ruth, can you hear me?" He gently ripped the tape from her mouth and set about trying to free her hands.

"Oh Harry, I do love you," she murmured. "You know that, don't you? You must. You must know that I think about you all the time, and the sound of your voice drives me to distraction, and I just love you."

Harry thought he must have been dreaming. Surely Ruth didn't feel that way about him, after refusing a second dinner date with him and running away from him at Havensworth and proclaiming that it was too dangerous for them to be seen together after the nightmare of Cotterdam. But he noticed how her words were slurred, how her voice and movements were languid and heavy. Jesus, she was high on whatever drug they'd given her, and the effect was to make her rather loose-lipped and uninhibited. Because otherwise, Ruth would never in a million years proclaim her love for him, even if he did just save her life.

"Harry, kiss me again, like you did after dinner. Your lips are so soft and wonderful. I dream about your lips, did you know?"

His heart constricted with embarrassment for them both. Ruth was going to be absolutely mortified when she sobered up. "Come along, Ruth, we've got to get you to the medics," he said gruffly, helping her stand.

She fell into his arms, unable to remain upright, shivering like a bedraggled animal left out in the rain. "Harry..." she moaned.

"Shh, it's alright, Ruth. Everything will be alright. But you have to try and walk," he told her, keeping his arms around her and cautiously leading her through the darkness toward the cavern mouth. "There we go."

Medics were waiting for them. The helicopter took them both back to civilization. Ruth was given fluids to flush the drugs out. Harry sat back and watched the activity with grave concern. She likely wouldn't remember the things she'd said. He wouldn't ever mention it. Even so, he would never forget it as long as he lived. Somewhere in her mind, though high on opiates used to poison her, Ruth loved him and wanted him.

She stayed in the hospital for two days before the doctors were satisfied she was alright. The world kept turning. Harry didn't visit her. He sent Jo and Malcolm and Adam to see her and bring her books and things Harry knew she liked. He himself went to her house to feed her cats. In fact, that's what he was doing when she arrived home in a cab.

"Harry!" she greeted in surprise.

He appeared in the hallway upon hearing the door open. "Oh, hello, I'm sorry, Ruth, I didn't know you'd be back so soon. I was just putting out food and fresh water for the cats."

She looked amused and astounded. "You're looking after my cats?"

"It's the least I could do." The creatures themselves appeared and wound their way around Harry's ankles before greeting Ruth.

But she ignored the cats for the time being. Her attention was on Harry. "You gathered my things for Jo to bring me." It wasn't a question. Ruth knew it was him.

"Yes," he confirmed.

She put down her bag and walked toward him, not stopping until she was hugging him tight.

He put his arms around her, too shocked to know what was going on. She trembled in his embrace. "Ruth, you're shivering, are you alright?"

She pressed her cheek against his chest, nuzzling against him. "I am now. And you should know why," she replied.

"I…I should?"

Ruth looked up and smiled, explaining, "I already told you. The last time I shivered in your arms."

And then, well, then there was nothing for Harry to do but kiss her. He kissed her just as he did after their first date, just as she'd asked him to do again. And he prayed that this time she wouldn't make him ever stop.


End file.
